How to Be Cool

Eugene Wright seems to be the archetype of everything that isnt cool. But of course cool is all relative, and theres a striking contrast between Eugene (Evan Whitfield)confident in his nerdy knowledge of everythingand Miss Taylor (Anna Richardson)the once-popular girl turned obedience-loving teacher. Where Miss Taylor teaches the value of following rules, Eugene, a guest speaker for the class, encourages freethinking and civil disobedience. She stayed in their hometown, hes been roaming the country and is well-versed in pop culture, politics, and technology. Former SW writer John Longenbaughs script takes place in 1962, allowing him to exalt the world-famous coolness of Elvis and JFK, as well as future technologies like portable music players. Beyond the nostalgic references, though, Eugenes message is a timeless one, expressed in any number of contemporary Disney specials; Longenbaugh has just done it more articulately than, say, High School Musical. Whitfield is charming as an impassioned dweeb, even if we suspect a suave man lurking beneath the surface. Once he and Richardson get past an awkward improvisational openingits tough to energize an audience of 12they hit their stride, giving consistent, cool performances. BRENT ARONOWITZ ACT (700 Union St., 292-7676, acttheatre.org) will host a special one-night-only benefit performance, 8 p.m. Sun., Aug. 9. $35.